Dan Markiewicz

Communicable & infectious diseases on the rise in the U.S.

Biohazards warrant priority attention

June 3, 2019

Going far beyond OSHA

Michigan OSHA’s lead standard has very strict exposure limits for pregnant workers. Are OHS pros ready to face a six-fold reduction challenge?

Dan Markiewicz MS, CIH, CSP, RMP

April 18, 2019

Appendix A to federal OSHA’s 1978 lead standard (current today) provides that blood lead level (BLL) of workers, both male and female, who intend to have children should be maintained below 30 micrograms per deciliter (ug/dL) “to minimize adverse reproductive health effects to the parents and to the developing fetus.

occupational carcinogens, fear of cancer

Managing fear of carcinogens

Emotional distress can burden your workplace

Dan Markiewicz MS, CIH, CSP, RMP

March 15, 2019

In 2019, 1,762,450 new cancer cases and 606,880 cancer deaths are projected to occur in the United States1. It is statistically improbable for someone in America not to know someone close who had or has cancer.

toxic exposures, OSHA permissible exposure limits

Exposure effects explained

New terms & calculations require worker retraining

Dan Markiewicz MS, CIH, CSP, RMP

February 1, 2019

A basic understanding of the toxicological dose-response curve is a necessity for OHS pros. People fear most what they understand the least. New and vast toxicological information can trigger fear and irrational actions.

Are you versed in industrial hygiene activities?

The need for health professionals is rising

Dan Markiewicz MS, CIH, CSP, RMP

January 10, 2019

Standard 1910.1020 “Access to employee exposure and medical records” is the most important and far-reaching of OSHA’s regulations. When the standard became effective more than two decades ago, it could not have envisioned the explosive growth of global chemical exposure information.

EHS pros need to look at their own programs

U.S. scores low in health measures

Dan Markiewicz MS, CIH, CSP, RMP

December 11, 2018

The World Economic Forum “Global Competitiveness Report 2018” ranked the U.S. as the most competitive country in the world with an overall score of 86. The U.S. ranked 1st in labor market, financial systems and business dynamism categories.

Don’t gamble with reproductive health

Outdated thinking: Naive women will remain silent

Dan Markiewicz MS, CIH, CSP, RMP

December 3, 2018

Class action lawsuits regarding reproductive health rights were recently filed against Walmart, the U.S.’s largest private employer, in Illinois, New York and Wisconsin. Many other employers such as Amazon, Merck and Novartis face similar lawsuits, too, relating to pregnancy discrimination, failure to provide reasonable accommodations and violations of EEOC rules.

Why you need an industrial hygienist along during OSHA site sampling

Dan Markiewicz MS, CIH, CSP, RMP

October 16, 2018

An OSHA health compliance officer (an industrial hygienist -- IH) recently put me in an ethical dilemma. While conducting “side-by-side” air sampling as the employer’s representative during an OSHA inspection, I observed that the OSHA IH was not sampling for asbestos correctly.

Concerns grow over high-intensity blue LEDs

Don’t stare at the glare

Dan Markiewicz MS, CIH, CSP, RMP

September 1, 2018

Do blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) affixed to forklifts pose an unnecessary risk? Prompted by employee concerns, a client asked me this question. Choose your answer now, and see if it wavers or changes as you progress through this article.

Intelligence as a safety & health metric

Smart workers may think they outfox risks

Dan Markiewicz MS, CIH, CSP, RMP

August 3, 2018

IQ may be a predictor of who suffers an injury or illness at work. A 68-year population study published in 20171 found that IQ is inversely associated with all major causes of death, including accidents.